Dear Ex-Coach,
It's been a very long time since I have seen you and I'm very glad. I don't know how I would react if I had to see you in public. My mom always told me that if I didn't have anything nice to say that I shouldn't say it at all but if I ever saw you again, I might break that rule. Not only did you try to ruin the love for the sport I was playing, but you made everything complicated. Every time I tell this story to people when they ask me "Who did you play for in high school?" it shocks people. It's crazy to think what I went through as a 17-year-old.
You made me choose between the two things I love, being involved in high school and playing my sport, golf. I understand that you might not have liked the fact that I was more involved than the other girls on the team but you should've been proud to have a player like me: involved, and also dedicated to the sport. Not only did I always show up to practice and workouts on time, I was one of the last people to leave. I never once missed practice or workouts because of my involvement in the school. I would practice first and then go to my after school functions, but you couldn't accept it. You thought I was slacking at practice when I was doing my best and thought I didn't deserve a spot on the team.
Not only did you make me quit the sport I love, you broke my friendship and bond I had with the girls on the team. Not only were we teammates, but we also hung out outside of school as just friends. When everything went down and I was no longer "allowed" to be on a high school sports team, they stopped associating with me and I lost one of my closest friends on the team. We eventually started talking again, but it wasn't the same and your plan of making her turn her back on me worked. When the day came to sign my National Intent letter for my college, I wasn't allowed to be on stage because I didn't play for the school, which broke my heart.
Through all of this, I learned a life lesson early that not everyone is who they seemed to be. Just because they seemed like they like you doesn't mean that they have the best intentions for you. I was only a 17-year-old in high school trying to fit in just like everyone and playing a sport I loved but you couldn't accept that. I also learned that the administrative system is not as great as it seems. Going to the athletic director with my story, she agreed and decided that it was best for me not to be on the team because of the fact that I wanted to be the class president. Never have I ever done anything bad, but because I wanted to be a leader in my school, I shouldn't be able to play a sport. It didn't even take any time away from workouts or practice but you couldn't bear to see me happy.
But I want to thank you. Through this, I saw who my true friends were. The couple of friends that were there for me in high school through this, I still talk to today. I also found comfort in one of my teachers that I also still talk to today. She let me cry in her arms and she let me talk her ears off every day but she was such a great mentor. I'm sure I would've realized this without your help, but I learned it very quickly. Thank you for letting me see what high school was like for a non-athlete. Even though I wasn't playing for my high school, I am playing for such an amazing school now. I have far succeeded more than you probably wanted to and I hope that you see my name on the school website and newspapers. Thank you for teaching me that no matter how nice I am to people, it doesn't mean that they will be nice back.
You ruined part of my high school days where I sat there and cried about not being able to play for a school, but I thank God for blessing me and letting me continue this sport in college. I quickly fell deeper in love with the sport and played more than I had when I was in high school. Hard work pays off and just because you didn't let me play on your team didn't mean that other coaches didn't want me on their team. I am a hard working player, you just couldn't see it because you were too blinded.
- From your "not so favorite player"
